- Local Law 12 of 2023 5-Year Accessibility Plan (2024-2028) for the RGB
- RGB Accessibility Progress Report (2024-2025)
Local Law 12 of 2023
5-Year Accessibility Plan
(2024-2028)
for the
New York City
Rent Guidelines Board
Effective June 20, 2024
General
The NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) is mandated to establish rent adjustments for the approximately one million dwelling units subject to the Rent Stabilization Law in New York City. The Board holds an annual series of public meetings and hearings to consider research from staff, and testimony from owners, tenants, advocacy groups and industry experts.
The RGB staff is responsible for providing administrative support to the Board and prepares research regarding the economic condition of the stabilized residential real estate industry including operating and maintenance costs, the cost of financing, housing supply and cost of living indices. The RGB staff engages in year-round research efforts, publishes its reports for use by the public, other governmental agencies, and private organizations, and provides information to the public on housing questions.
The RGB’s Disability Service Facilitator (DSF) is Brian Hoberman, and his contact information is:
1 Centre Street, Suite 2210
New York, NY, 10007
212-669-7484
[email protected]
The RGB’s DSF prepared this report and is responsible for updating the agency’s 5-year plan as required in Local Law 12.
The RGB’s grievance procedure for the public is a review by the RGB’s Executive Director Andrew McLaughlin and his contact information is:
1 Centre Street, Suite 2210
New York, NY, 10007
212-669-7482
[email protected]
Agency Plan
Physical Access
Access Issues:
The RGB is a tenant in a city-owned building that is accessible to those with disabilities with unobstructed entrance to the building and elevator access. The restroom facilities are also accessible for those with disabilities.
No access issues have been brought to our attention by our staff.
Digital Access
Access Issues:
The RGB is committed to ensuring its digital content is accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. The RGB is continuing to conduct self-evaluations with respect to digital access issues and outlines its priorities in the below actions section. RGB produces many publications, which are released as PDFs which we are committed to making screen-readable. Publications are also distributed in print at public meetings.
The RGB strives to make its digital content accessible to people with disabilities. For example, Brian Hoberman as the RGB’s DSF is also the designated Digital Inclusion Officer (DIO).
Actions:
The RGB will identify digital assets to be prioritized for accessibility enhancements over the next two years. This will be coordinated by the DSF.
The RGB will monitor samples of outgoing digital communications and test them for accessibility and recommend corrective actions over the next two years. This will be coordinated by DSF.
The RGB’s digital content is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to this accessibility standard. The RGB will continue to work towards full compliance with W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, 2.1 Level AA over the next two years. This will be done by the RGB’s DSF.
The RGB’s DSF will commit to taking additional training on making digital content accessible and how to create that content in an accessible manner over the next two years.
The RGB’s DSF will provide oversight and track intended outcomes.
Effective Communications
Access Issues:
The RGB is committed to making its communications accessible for people with disabilities.
No access issues have been brought to our attention by members of the public, but the RGB will continue to welcome feedback regarding the accessibility of our communications.
Workplace Inclusion
Access Issues:
The RGB is continuing to conduct evaluations with respect to workplace inclusion issues and outlines its priorities in the below actions section.
Actions:
The RGB will make Disability Etiquette and Awareness training mandatory, every two years, for its employees. This will be coordinated by the DSF.
The RGB will ensure that information for requesting accommodations is included in all interview confirmation letters/emails sent to candidates. This will be coordinated by the DSF.
The RGB will review all job descriptions to ensure that they are disability-inclusive and will make sure electronic job postings are accessible to those who use access technologies. They will be done by the DSF.
The RGB will confirm with building management annually that a fire and emergency management plan is in place that accounts for employees and visitors with disabilities including communication disabilities. This will be done by the DSF.
The RGB’s DSF will provide oversight and track intended outcomes.
Public Meetings and Hearings
The RGB hosts in-person public meetings and hearings. (hereinafter, “events”). All promotional materials for events comply with Local Law 28 of 2016, which requires City agencies to include information about the accessibility of events and information on how to request accommodations. RGB schedules and hosts events only at facilities that are confirmed to be wheelchair accessible and in compliance with the ADA.
If a member of the public makes a request for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation as a form of reasonable accommodation, RGB ensures that ASL interpreters are available for the duration of an event.
Methodology
RGB is committed to increasing accessibility and inclusion for applicants, employees, and the community to which we serve. Additionally, the RGB does not have any employees who have identified themselves as having disability needs or concerns. The RGB’s DSF, therefore, collectively assessed access issues based on common knowledge of disability-related issues and concerns.
New York City
Rent Guidelines Board
Accessibility Progress Report
(2024-2025)
Local Law 12 of 2023 (“Local Law 12”), codified as section 23-1004 of the NYC Administrative Code, requires agencies to prepare and publish 5-year accessibility plans using a template provided by the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD).
Local Law 12 further requires agencies to publish an annual report, setting forth the progress they have made towards achieving the goals in their 5-year accessibility plan. This report has been published on the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) website by May 1, 2025 and has been submitted to MOPD by May 15, 2025.
General
The NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) is mandated to establish rent adjustments for the approximately one million dwelling units subject to the Rent Stabilization Law in New York City. The Board convenes an annual series of public meetings and hearings to examine research presented by staff and testimony provided by owners, tenants, advocacy groups, and industry experts. The RGB staff is responsible for providing administrative support to the Board and conducting research on the economic condition of the stabilized residential real estate industry. This research encompasses operating and maintenance costs, financing costs, housing supply, and cost of living indices. The RGB staff engages in ongoing research efforts, disseminates its reports for public use, other governmental agencies, and private organizations, and provides information to the public on housing-related inquiries.
The RGB published the Local Law 12 of 2023 5-Year Accessibility Plan (2024-2028) effective June 20, 2024. The present document is the RGB’s first annual progress report.
Statement of Commitment
The RGB is committed to ensuring accessibility for all individuals. In the upcoming year, we plan to prioritize enhancing the legibility of our research reports to make them more accessible to a broader audience. The RGB will maintain its collaboration with the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) to ensure that our website complies fully with relevant accessibility standards. Furthermore, the RGB will continue to ensure that our office and scheduled public meetings and hearings are held in locations that are fully accessible to all individuals.
Disability Service Facilitator and Other Key Accessibility Information
The RGB’s Disability Service Facilitator (DSF) is Brian Hoberman, and his contact information is:
1 Centre Street, Suite 2210
New York, NY, 10007
212-669-7484
[email protected]
The RGB’s DSF prepared this progress report and is responsible for updating the agency’s 5-year plan as required in Local Law 12 as necessary.
The RGB’s grievance procedure for the public is a review by the RGB’s Executive Director Andrew McLaughlin and his contact information is:
1 Centre Street, Suite 2210
New York, NY, 10007
212-669-7482
[email protected]
Progress Report
Physical Access
The RGB is a tenant of a city-owned building that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The building has an unobstructed entrance and elevator access. The restroom facilities are also accessible to individuals with disabilities.
To our knowledge, no access issues have been reported by our staff, and this remains the case as of the time of this progress report.
Digital Access
The RGB is committed to ensuring that its digital content is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. The RGB is actively conducting self-evaluations regarding digital accessibility issues and outlines its priorities in the following actions section. The RGB produces several publications, which are released in PDF format. The RGB team is dedicated to enhancing the screen-readability and legibility of these publications. This will be coordinated by the DSF. The same publications are also distributed in print at public meetings.
The RGB will monitor samples of outgoing digital communications and test them for accessibility, recommending corrective actions over the coming year. This will be coordinated by the DSF.
The RGB’s digital content is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to this accessibility standard. The RGB will continue to work towards full compliance with W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, 2.1 Level AA over the next three years. This will be done by the RGB’s DSF in conjunction with OTI.
The RGB’s DSF will commit to undertaking additional effort on ensuring the accessibility of digital content and the process of creating accessible content in collaboration with OTI, which provides the RGB’s website.
The RGB’s DSF will provide oversight and monitor the achievement of intended outcomes.
Effective Communications
The RGB is committed to ensuring the accessibility of its communications for individuals with disabilities.
Although no accessibility concerns have been reported by members of the public in the past year, the RGB remains receptive to feedback regarding the accessibility of its communications.
Workplace Inclusion
The RGB is conducting evaluations regarding workplace inclusion and outlines its priorities in the following actions section:
- The RGB will mandate Disability Etiquette and Awareness training for its employees in the upcoming year, which will be coordinated by the DSF.
- The RGB will ensure that information regarding accommodation requests is included in any interview confirmation letters or emails sent to candidates, which will be coordinated by the DSF.
- The RGB will review any job descriptions to ensure that they are disability-inclusive and will make sure that electronic job postings are accessible to individuals who use assistive technologies. This will be accomplished by the DSF.
- The RGB’s DSF will annually confirm with building management that a fire and emergency management plan is in place that accommodates employees and visitors with disabilities, including communication disabilities. This will be done by the DSF.
- The RGB’s DSF will provide oversight and monitor the intended outcomes.
Public Meetings and Hearings
The RGB hosts in-person public meetings and hearings, referred to herein as “events.” All promotional materials for events adhere to Local Law 28 of 2016, which mandates that City agencies provide information regarding the accessibility of events and instructions on how to request accommodations. RGB schedules and hosts events exclusively at facilities that have been verified to be wheelchair accessible and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Should a member of the public submit a request for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation as a form of reasonable accommodation, RGB ensures the availability of ASL interpreters throughout the duration of the event.
Consultations and Feedback
The RGB’s DSF will continue to engage in consultations with employees regarding accessibility matters at the RGB and actively accept their feedback. Notably, there have been no such consultations conducted within the past year.
Conclusion
The RGB is committed to accessibility. Our primary accessibility improvement in the upcoming year will be to make the RGB’s research reports in PDF format more accessible to the public.